Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-01
Villas REPORT.
Continued from Second Page.

| Continued from Second Page.
causes and in the respective numbers fol-
lowing: By expiration of commission,
$50; by resignation, 1872; by removal or
suspension, 237; by death, 80; and upon
/ the assignment Of fourth-@lass offices TO q
Presidential class, 145.
A change of administration, resulting
from the success in the elections of po-
litical party for long period previously
excluded from participation in govern
ment service, naturally constitutes,a Pc
culisr epoch in the course Of appoint
ments Of postmssters, from which stats
teal information may be exhibited with
an interest, if not value, not attaching
re the ordinary annual periods.
I Among the presidential postmssters in
Office on the 4th Of March, 1885, the per
ceptage Of suspensions aud removals is
81 3, and the percentage Of their voluntary
designations during the period OF two
years and upwards 1873.
On the 7th OF March, 1885, the entire
number of the fourth-clses offices IVES
40, OH. The new establishments since
have been 6599, Of which IA III the fiscal
year 1885, 1882 in 1856 end 3043 in 1887;
and the discontiDuances in the CORE
spending periods were y, 1l20 and
1900 respectively, q total Of 1892,
besides q net addition to the presi-
dental classes of 103, leaving the number
in the fourth. class on the 1st day of July
last, as stated, 81 821. In all these Off
ces the total numaer CT appointments
have been sc 1852.
The percentage of removals of fourth
class postmasters is "a 4, and OF their
voluntary designations 3l.9 since March
Z, 1885.
To ascertain the number of postmasters
of this class whe have remained in office
since prior 20 the change of sdministra-
tlop, allowance must be made of the then
existing offices since discontinued, esti-
mated st PA; AID thereupon subtract
! ing the number of the changed officers, as
above found, the number still remaining
would be Is 49l, CT little above SO per
cent. of the incumbents OF Offices then ex-
listing and not since abolished.
The proper compensation of post
masters, subject fruitful of legislative
effort, still presses upon the attention OF
the Department and appears to justly de-
mand further consideration by the Con-
! gress.
To more than 95 per cent. of the post
masters (53,O53 out of So 434 on the lst OF
| Oatober), compensation, in addition to
Iapney-order and special delivery bust
ness, is awarded by the allowance quar-
fterly of all box rents collected by them,
and Of graduated commissions upon the
| postage and matter mailed, deficient
! postage collected, and sales Of waste pa
/ per and Irvine, ct their respective Offices;
all adjusted by the auditor in the settle
ment of their sccOuntg. When this measure
ment yields $3.50 per quarter for four sue
cessive quarters, exclusive OF fees on
money order aud special delivery busi-
ness, the Auditor reports the office TO the
Department, and it is then assigned TO the
sslsried class, and the salary fixed upon
an entirely different basis, the volume OF
gross receipts at the office arbitrarily
rated by the act Of 1888.
Compensation of the fourth-class post
master is graded upon the theOry that Il
| should be sufficient to remunerate all the
expenses of his office as well as his personal
service; and hence not only al box-rents
IN every case, but al hostages Cancelled
up TO $50 per quarter, and round COM
missions upon the residue, are awarded
him. Ga the other hand, compensation
| by salary naturally implies the recon-
pense of toe postm&ster'S personal seTv-'
| ice only, irrespective OF the expenses OF
| the business, which then belongs WEol ~
| TO the government. II this distinction is
fairly maintained in the provision CT two
| classes, with just and sppreci&tivo per-
ception Of their circumstances, the chef
aSbilrary determination required IS OF the
Vine of division between them; and even
| this may rest approximately upon some
4 r,l hyNr7y E 10 nf
although improbable, seriously misplaced;
nor does much room exist for pOstmss-
| tiers of the fourth Glass Justly TO complain
of the measure OF their Tecompense.
Salsries of the third class vary from
| $1,000, where gross receipts are $500
and not exceeding $2100, TO $500, where
gross receipts reach $1,000 but not over
| $4,000; and Immediately following, sslar-
! les Of the second class rise from $4,000,
for gross receipts Of $4,000 and not over
$4,000, to $1,000, for gross receipts OF
| S35, 900 or more and not exceeding S40,-
| O00 Thus, il the business Of an office be
between $1,000 and $4,000, the postmaster
must bear the entire charges of it and
have for himself only what shall be left OF
$4,000; while if the business be but $lC0
| more the postmaster may take $4,000 net
Afor his services, and these often more
7 Of mere easy supervision than actusl
office work. Instances have come to my
attention where third-clsss postmasters
with salaries of but $1,000 to $1700 have
been compelled, in order to provide such
service as to satisfy their sense Of per-
sonal honor in performance Of public
duty, to make an annual outlay of from
$1,000 to $500, besides giving continuing
personal labor. It is obvious, indeed,
that so great is the difference between
the decent provision of an office for the
transaction of postal business yielding
annually $1,000 or more and one yielding
but from $500 to $2100, il may be almost
affirmed that as e third class postm sster's
business and salary increase his compen-
sation diminishes; and il is 10 be safely
asserted that, in 4 large msioritY of cases
at least, his proportionsble compensation
TO labor and responsibility will surely
diminish if he fairly discharges his obligs-
tions TO the service. Such condition is
neither creditable to the justice OF the
government nor wisely conducive to the
finished service which should be exacted
of postmasters to the public.
The appropriate remedy for relief OF
tho inc0noruities now existing seems TO